This is my recipe for Hummus, which I adapted from here. This one's for you, Jane! :-)
I use:
3 - 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained with juice reserved
3 T. tahini, or to taste
4 T. lemon juice, or to taste
2 - 3 garlic cloves, or to taste
1/4 c. olive oil, or to taste
1 T. sesame seeds (optional)
a shake or two of salt
Blend all ingredients in food processor, adding about one-third to one-half of the reserved juice to make hummus creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate one hour to blend flavors.
Play around with it and adjust as you like. I like mine lemony and creamy so I think I add extra lemon juice and olive oil than the recipe states. I don't usually measure ingredients, I generally pour right into the food processor. If in doubt of my measurements, use the reference recipe. :-)
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Bloggy Carnival Give Away
Here is what I'm offering for the Bloggy Carnival - two handmade fall cards and envelopes, perfect for giving as a Thank You or Thinking of You card.
Leave a comment to win these cards! Please be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. This offer is valid for United States mailing addresses only. I will be drawing a winner on Sunday, November 2 at 4 pm, EST; comments will be closed at 3 pm, EST.
Be sure to see what else is being offered over here!
Note: This give-away is now closed. Thanks for entering!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Look Up!
Gas prices are falling remarkably! I filled up our vehicle on Wednesday for $2.59 per gallon and was thrilled it was so low. Now, I find that it's $2.45 per gallon. I hope this trend continues and it falls below $2 per gallon again!
*sigh. Remember the days when $20 would fill up your car and you would get change back?
*sigh. Remember the days when $20 would fill up your car and you would get change back?
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Product Review: Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes
From time to time, I'm asked to review a product. What better place to post my thoughts and ideas about the product?
I recently was given an opportunity to review Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash Potatoes. They are available in four flavors: Russet, Sweet, Garlic-Seasoned, and Three Cheese. These potatoes are different than the flakes of old. These are honest-to-goodness potatoes: washed, peeled, and cubed. To prepare them, one microwaves it in the bag; lets it rest for two minutes; pours the contents into a bowl; mashes; adds butter, milk, sour cream or whatever else one likes in mashed potatoes and voila! mashed potatoes without so much work involved.
I bought the Garlic-Seasoned Steam 'n Mash potatoes last week looking for the perfect opportunity to use them. I was making Chicken Marsala tonight, sauce courtesy of my favorite Joe, and thought some garlic mashed potatoes would be a wonderful addition.
The cooking process went well, nothing blew up in my microwave or smelled like burning plastic (I actually used the alternate directions and microwaved them in a ceramic casserole dish). I let them rest and then proceeded to mash them, quite easily with a hand masher. I added the 1/3 c of milk (rice milk), which the recipe recommended. It looked so smooth and lovely with the flecks of green in it.
I served it to my family. My boys enjoyed it; I thought it was extremely salty, as did my Dearest. He did add that it wasn't so bad when he mixed it with his extra Marsala sauce. He also commented that it must be difficult to produce a product that must have a relatively long shelf life that still tastes good. We generally eat quite a lot of fresh produce or freshly prepared foods, very few processed foods.
So, for about $3 a pop it's worth a try, but I don't think it's worth the shortcut.
I recently was given an opportunity to review Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash Potatoes. They are available in four flavors: Russet, Sweet, Garlic-Seasoned, and Three Cheese. These potatoes are different than the flakes of old. These are honest-to-goodness potatoes: washed, peeled, and cubed. To prepare them, one microwaves it in the bag; lets it rest for two minutes; pours the contents into a bowl; mashes; adds butter, milk, sour cream or whatever else one likes in mashed potatoes and voila! mashed potatoes without so much work involved.
I bought the Garlic-Seasoned Steam 'n Mash potatoes last week looking for the perfect opportunity to use them. I was making Chicken Marsala tonight, sauce courtesy of my favorite Joe, and thought some garlic mashed potatoes would be a wonderful addition.
The cooking process went well, nothing blew up in my microwave or smelled like burning plastic (I actually used the alternate directions and microwaved them in a ceramic casserole dish). I let them rest and then proceeded to mash them, quite easily with a hand masher. I added the 1/3 c of milk (rice milk), which the recipe recommended. It looked so smooth and lovely with the flecks of green in it.
I served it to my family. My boys enjoyed it; I thought it was extremely salty, as did my Dearest. He did add that it wasn't so bad when he mixed it with his extra Marsala sauce. He also commented that it must be difficult to produce a product that must have a relatively long shelf life that still tastes good. We generally eat quite a lot of fresh produce or freshly prepared foods, very few processed foods.
So, for about $3 a pop it's worth a try, but I don't think it's worth the shortcut.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
TV and Movies
These are my opinions.
Let me repeat that. These are my opinions. I don't care what you do with your time or money; it's your business. This is how I feel about my time and money.
Having said that...
I don't know about you, but I'm finding some fun TV shows out there. One of my problems is, I don't have time to watch all of them either because I am too busy to sit down at the designated time to watch or I am still putting children to bed and cannot plop down in front of the TV to watch.
I realize that there are things like DVRs, Tivos and perhaps even still some VCRs, with which to record and watch later.
I personally refuse to pay for cable/satellite/dish or whatever to get gazillions of channels. In my thinking, if I have to pay for TV, I had better get my money's worth so I had better watch lots. If you follow this logic circle completely, by me doing so, I feel that I would be wasting my time since I wouldn't be doing the other necessary things that need doing. Again, this is my opinion.
I actually know how to program my VCR and have successfully done so. I just forget to insert a usable tape or I insert a tape that has previously recorded something that I knew I wanted to keep, but I forgot to label the tape so I have no clue what it's contents are, and the tab-thingy hasn't been removed or removed and covered with tape so it must be a usable tape! Only to find out that it was a Super Bowl game between the Patriots and Colts that my Dearest taped or something I haven't watched yet.
I think I've found an almost perfect solution on Hulu, though I don't remember where I first heard about it. It is an ad-supported streaming video (online) site (a few :30 commercials scattered throughout the show) available currently in the States - sorry my foreign friends! Many of my favorite shows are there and have full episodes available which I can watch when I am able, which for me is usually stamping or scrapbooking late at night.
Hulu also has movies. Some of my favorites include: Sense and Sensibility, Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, and Spy Game.
Enjoy!
Let me repeat that. These are my opinions. I don't care what you do with your time or money; it's your business. This is how I feel about my time and money.
Having said that...
I don't know about you, but I'm finding some fun TV shows out there. One of my problems is, I don't have time to watch all of them either because I am too busy to sit down at the designated time to watch or I am still putting children to bed and cannot plop down in front of the TV to watch.
I realize that there are things like DVRs, Tivos and perhaps even still some VCRs, with which to record and watch later.
I personally refuse to pay for cable/satellite/dish or whatever to get gazillions of channels. In my thinking, if I have to pay for TV, I had better get my money's worth so I had better watch lots. If you follow this logic circle completely, by me doing so, I feel that I would be wasting my time since I wouldn't be doing the other necessary things that need doing. Again, this is my opinion.
I actually know how to program my VCR and have successfully done so. I just forget to insert a usable tape or I insert a tape that has previously recorded something that I knew I wanted to keep, but I forgot to label the tape so I have no clue what it's contents are, and the tab-thingy hasn't been removed or removed and covered with tape so it must be a usable tape! Only to find out that it was a Super Bowl game between the Patriots and Colts that my Dearest taped or something I haven't watched yet.
I think I've found an almost perfect solution on Hulu, though I don't remember where I first heard about it. It is an ad-supported streaming video (online) site (a few :30 commercials scattered throughout the show) available currently in the States - sorry my foreign friends! Many of my favorite shows are there and have full episodes available which I can watch when I am able, which for me is usually stamping or scrapbooking late at night.
Hulu also has movies. Some of my favorites include: Sense and Sensibility, Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, and Spy Game.
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Boys: Bumps and Bruises
Quite awhile ago...
When a toddler boy is rushed to the pediatrician's office because the brother of said toddler boy did not notice that said boy's wee hand was holding the door near the hinges, and this brother decides to close the door, it's very little consolation that the pediatrician turns to the mother and says with a sigh, "Well, they are boys. I think we may be seeing more of your family in the near future."
Fast forward a bit in time...
This same boy, aged two now, loses his first tooth, a front tooth no less, by a Lego board, thrown frisbee-style into his mouth by his brother. The mother can only hope that this will be the last time such an event will take place.
Fast forward to present day...
A young elemtary age boy carrying a table top (1.5 ft in diameter) up the stairs decides that it looks an awful lot like a steering wheel and decides to play with it as such. He loses balance and bops himself with the edge of the table top in the mouth, knocking out the other front tooth.
Pause.
Yes, I am the mother; these are the stories of one of my sons. The first two instances happened years ago. I cannot believe that it was so long ago. I thank God that the boy in the "stories" is healthy and fine today.
After the first two instances and a relatively long lull, I thought we were over such boisterous boyish behavior. I realize now that I must have lost touch with reality when I thought that. I realize the bumps and bruises won't stop any time soon. However, I do hope that I've seen the last of teeth being knocked out.
When a toddler boy is rushed to the pediatrician's office because the brother of said toddler boy did not notice that said boy's wee hand was holding the door near the hinges, and this brother decides to close the door, it's very little consolation that the pediatrician turns to the mother and says with a sigh, "Well, they are boys. I think we may be seeing more of your family in the near future."
Fast forward a bit in time...
This same boy, aged two now, loses his first tooth, a front tooth no less, by a Lego board, thrown frisbee-style into his mouth by his brother. The mother can only hope that this will be the last time such an event will take place.
Fast forward to present day...
A young elemtary age boy carrying a table top (1.5 ft in diameter) up the stairs decides that it looks an awful lot like a steering wheel and decides to play with it as such. He loses balance and bops himself with the edge of the table top in the mouth, knocking out the other front tooth.
Pause.
Yes, I am the mother; these are the stories of one of my sons. The first two instances happened years ago. I cannot believe that it was so long ago. I thank God that the boy in the "stories" is healthy and fine today.
After the first two instances and a relatively long lull, I thought we were over such boisterous boyish behavior. I realize now that I must have lost touch with reality when I thought that. I realize the bumps and bruises won't stop any time soon. However, I do hope that I've seen the last of teeth being knocked out.
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